State's attorney hopefuls blast each other's records

All the candidates in the race for Cook County state's attorney are claiming to be the voice of change as they blast each other's track records.Each claims to be the candidate who will put an end to police misconduct and corruption.

Peraica, the Republican candidate for the office, courted voters in the African-American community that he says has been most failed by the office he seeks to hold. While calling himself an agent of change, he again criticized his Democratic opponent, Anita Alvarez, accusing her of being an insider who has done nothing to stop police misconduct and corruption.

"She's going to continue the cover-up. She's going to continue to look the other way. She's causing taxes to be the highest in the country," said Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica.

"When special prosecutors were appointed, we cooperated. I cooperated with them and any information that they were looking for or files that they were looking for," said candidate Anita Alvarez.

Alvarez countered Peraica's claims while working a campaign stop at a South Side sanctuary. Alvarez is the deputy chief state's attorney and made history by becoming the first Latino and first woman to win a nomination in the race for Cook County state's attorney. She, too, wants to change the current mistrustful relationship that exist between the county's ethnic residents and law enforcement.

It's a theme O'Brien, the current Cook County state's attorney, echoes as well. As an assistant in the state's attorney's Juvenile Division, O'Brien blames the negative perception of the office on the current administration and says not only will he oppose the death penalty, but also re-establish community outreach in neighborhoods with higher crime rates.

"We really need to deal with that because many people don't believe we do the right thing, and that's something that we have to get people to understand," said Thomas Obrien, the Green party candidate for state's attorney.

All of the candidates are making the final push, reminding voters that the presidential election is not the only contest on the ballot.